During the winter, only Americans come to the B-17 Museum, the summer, its Europeans and folks from around the world. It was on a cold winter day that a small crowd of Virginians wandered in, no different than any other crowd came in - I heard a woman sobbing from the back of the plane, under the tail.
"Oh my God, " I heard her crying, " its my father." I walked...hobbled really down there, and found an older woman slumped over a wheel chair, sobbing into a large hankerchief, pointing to a crew picture hanging on the wall.
" Its him, it's my dad, " she cried, and wimpered as her family bent over hugging and running their fingers and hands over her shoulders.
Her father was a waist gunner on Hot-to-Trot, lost over Germany on its X mission, another casualty on another flight, doing his duty, bombing yet another target, trying to get the damned war over with. It really didn't matter whether it was at the front part of the war or near the end, the plane and most of the 10 crew didn't make it. They were lost, dead was dead, no hope, the explosion happened at about 8,000 feet on the way down, it was quick, very few chutes, no bodies were recovered.
We copied the crew photo and gave it to her. She wanted to know a zillion things: why the art on the nose, who thought it up, who were the other guys, still alive, where were they? how many other casualties ( WAY too many), was it worth it?
The family that came with her? Sons, daughters, grandchildren and the family tree that sprung from their union that populated the small town from whence they came. He issued a doctor, farmer, college graduates, electrical workers, a couple of nurses, a family tree that gave his town a lot.
I imagine if he could see all this, he would be proud.
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Sunday, May 6, 2012
Life in Switzerland Money, vacations, Religion
It has been many years since I spent time in Geneva, walked the halls of the Peace Palace, ate Fondue Raclette in the lakeside restaurants and watched the fountains, cruised the massive lakes and walked the streets of sedate Basil.
Things change, apparently in staid, quiet Switzerland, the "high Bridge at Bern, home of super sleuth spy novels still spans the arcing Aare River snaking through the capital city underneath the windows of the palatial capital of the Bellevue Palace Hotel, but other, more significant things have moved into play.
Religion has sunken keep into the lives of the Swiss, four or five rooted faiths have gripped the people and grown into their identity, and although the you, stern Mormons there won't hint at it, "praying ONLY to Jesus Christ, and not to statues in Church" manages to creep into casual conversation 5 times in a half hour conversation as I meet them one Saturday afternoon while touring southern Arizona.
The major religions of the world have carved out a territory of Switzerland and began proselytizing each other. None that I meet mentions the other by name, but if human nature is any measure, say like the competitive nature of the Jews and Catholics of New York City, each keeping monthly score of conversions from and to each others camps (in televisions appearances), it is likely that consideration is popping up in staid, conservative Switzerland as well.
I ask of the current financial crisis in Europe? "Not a problem in Conservative Helvetian " I am told. Solid as the proverbial rock, he reassures. The industry in the Central European country =is, will be and forever will be banking: secret banking, confidential banking. Italy, apparently has been hounding Switzerland for names, addresses and amounts for "taxes" owed the Italian Government, he tells me.
"We are a separate country," he tells me. " How dare they." They will never get our records, no one will, he continued. This must give comfort to many on Wall Street it occurs to me. My new found friend is in banking in his homeland.
Spending time in America is a yearly adventure with him, four weeks off each year is a benefit of Swiss citizenship. Four weeks off, PAID, and it is the law there. The government revenue is fueled by other means he assures: banking. Of course - it makes sense.
All homes in Switzerland have guns, all have at least one member who has had compulsory service in the military, and by law, they take their weapons and ammo home - forever. So, their "neutrality" is more than a warm blanket. As John Lennon used to sing, "Happiness (really) is a Warm Gun."
###
Things change, apparently in staid, quiet Switzerland, the "high Bridge at Bern, home of super sleuth spy novels still spans the arcing Aare River snaking through the capital city underneath the windows of the palatial capital of the Bellevue Palace Hotel, but other, more significant things have moved into play.
Religion has sunken keep into the lives of the Swiss, four or five rooted faiths have gripped the people and grown into their identity, and although the you, stern Mormons there won't hint at it, "praying ONLY to Jesus Christ, and not to statues in Church" manages to creep into casual conversation 5 times in a half hour conversation as I meet them one Saturday afternoon while touring southern Arizona.
The major religions of the world have carved out a territory of Switzerland and began proselytizing each other. None that I meet mentions the other by name, but if human nature is any measure, say like the competitive nature of the Jews and Catholics of New York City, each keeping monthly score of conversions from and to each others camps (in televisions appearances), it is likely that consideration is popping up in staid, conservative Switzerland as well.
I ask of the current financial crisis in Europe? "Not a problem in Conservative Helvetian " I am told. Solid as the proverbial rock, he reassures. The industry in the Central European country =is, will be and forever will be banking: secret banking, confidential banking. Italy, apparently has been hounding Switzerland for names, addresses and amounts for "taxes" owed the Italian Government, he tells me.
"We are a separate country," he tells me. " How dare they." They will never get our records, no one will, he continued. This must give comfort to many on Wall Street it occurs to me. My new found friend is in banking in his homeland.
Spending time in America is a yearly adventure with him, four weeks off each year is a benefit of Swiss citizenship. Four weeks off, PAID, and it is the law there. The government revenue is fueled by other means he assures: banking. Of course - it makes sense.
All homes in Switzerland have guns, all have at least one member who has had compulsory service in the military, and by law, they take their weapons and ammo home - forever. So, their "neutrality" is more than a warm blanket. As John Lennon used to sing, "Happiness (really) is a Warm Gun."
###
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